Are the posted questions getting worse?

  • I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed SQL Rally. I thought that a couple of the sessions were not up to par; however the others that I saw were fantastic. I'd rate it a 4.5 out of 5!

    Kudos for all that put in all the time to make this a very successful event.

    It seems like PASS has learned a few new things with the way that this was run. I'm specifically thinking about how the community is voting for not only what sessions that they want to see at the Summit, but also we heard that the community will be voting for the location of the next US based SQL Rally! I really think that this move is a plus for the community at large.

    I also was privileged to meet several of the SSC people that hang out here. My only regret was in not having more time to just sit around with all of them to chat and get to know them better.

    Again, THANK YOU!

    Wayne
    Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server 2008
    Author - SQL Server T-SQL Recipes


    If you can't explain to another person how the code that you're copying from the internet works, then DON'T USE IT on a production system! After all, you will be the one supporting it!
    Links:
    For better assistance in answering your questions
    Performance Problems
    Common date/time routines
    Understanding and Using APPLY Part 1 & Part 2

  • WayneS (5/13/2011)


    My only regret was in not having more time to just sit around with all of them to chat and get to know them better.

    I agree. I wish the event went on for more days. I had a few moments between sessions and on lunch to talk with some folks, but the real hang out and talk time was at dinner each night with the twitter group. Lots of talking there. I don't recall seeing SSC folks at dinner (except Andy). and even at the dinner, we talked for hours but it felt like just minutes.

    Now I'm looking forward to my first PASS Summit later this year.

    Jim Murphy
    http://www.sqlwatchmen.com
    @SQLMurph

  • Jim Murphy (5/13/2011)


    WayneS (5/13/2011)


    My only regret was in not having more time to just sit around with all of them to chat and get to know them better.

    I agree. I wish the event went on for more days. I had a few moments between sessions and on lunch to talk with some folks, but the real hang out and talk time was at dinner each night with the twitter group. Lots of talking there. I don't recall seeing SSC folks at dinner (except Andy). and even at the dinner, we talked for hours but it felt like just minutes.

    Now I'm looking forward to my first PASS Summit later this year.

    There's never enough time to spend with all the people you want to. It's part of why I end up so exhausted at the end of these things because I try. It was great getting to meet all you guys in person.

    "The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
    - Theodore Roosevelt

    Author of:
    SQL Server Execution Plans
    SQL Server Query Performance Tuning

  • Thanks to everyone who attended SQLRally. I had a great time at the event. It was great to meet all the threadizens that were there. Jim, Wayne, and Alvin for the first time and seeing Grant and Gus again was great.

    Big thanks to Jim for being part of the Interviewing Panel for the Overdrive event and to Grant (even though he doesn't want to be thanked) for doing his pre-con, filling a regular session where there was last-minute cancellation, and hosting a Birds of a Feather table at the Overdrive.

    Jim, I was out and about both nights until 2am. Where'd you have dinner on Thursday?

    If you've never attended a PASS event (other than SQLSaturday) you really need to make the effort to attend. Not just for content, but to meet people. The contacts you make are, in my opinion, invaluable. I'll be exhausted for a week, but it'll be worth it.

  • If you need any more proof that Paul is brilliant check out this answer on StackOverflow, http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5998217/why-does-the-execution-plan-include-a-user-defined-function-call-for-a-computed-c

  • jcrawf02 (5/12/2011)


    why do I need an iPad2? suggestions? (32GB wifi version, guy at work selling it)

    my list so far:

    1 - I can use it for my schoolwork online, reading the lectures, posting in the discussion board, etc, without having to hold my laptop on my lap/use a mouse/type on a keyboard (I'd get Swype, to alleviate my carpal tunnel issues - and probably create new ones)

    2 - it's cool. But it's new, and maybe the novelty will wear off.

    3 - I can read books from the library on it. Potentially schoolbooks, will have to check into that.

    4 - games? might be more for my wife than me there.

    5 - handy picture-sharing. This is kind of a lame one, I don't do much of this. But I guess I might if I had one.

    What am I not thinking of? And if I got a Droid/iPhone, would I still use it for anything?

    #4: Angry Birds HD

    My List:

    1. PocketClout RDP / VNC (Remote Desktop) - AWESOME! (works with UltraVNC)

    2. Guidebook - Conference app. SQLRally used it. Word is that PASS is giving feedback to them to improve.

    Wayne
    Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server 2008
    Author - SQL Server T-SQL Recipes


    If you can't explain to another person how the code that you're copying from the internet works, then DON'T USE IT on a production system! After all, you will be the one supporting it!
    Links:
    For better assistance in answering your questions
    Performance Problems
    Common date/time routines
    Understanding and Using APPLY Part 1 & Part 2

  • jcrawf02 (5/12/2011)


    Thanks Gail! No Swype just sucks. That may be a deal-breaker, it won't be better for my wrists to type on that virtual keyboard than use my ergo one.

    Have you looked at:http://www.logitech.com/en-us/keyboards/keyboard/devices/keyboard-case

    Wayne
    Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server 2008
    Author - SQL Server T-SQL Recipes


    If you can't explain to another person how the code that you're copying from the internet works, then DON'T USE IT on a production system! After all, you will be the one supporting it!
    Links:
    For better assistance in answering your questions
    Performance Problems
    Common date/time routines
    Understanding and Using APPLY Part 1 & Part 2

  • In the area of "are the posted articles getting worse"...

    I realize that it's an older article but isn't the word "Automatic" and code with hard-coded dates a bit of an oxymoron?

    http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa964122(v=sql.90).aspx

    What really makes it bad is that it's in the bloody MSDN Library!

    I know... I know... I'm just bitchin'. :sick:

    --Jeff Moden


    RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
    First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
    ________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

    Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.


    Helpful Links:
    How to post code problems
    How to Post Performance Problems
    Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

  • WayneS (5/14/2011)


    jcrawf02 (5/12/2011)


    Thanks Gail! No Swype just sucks. That may be a deal-breaker, it won't be better for my wrists to type on that virtual keyboard than use my ergo one.

    Have you looked at:http://www.logitech.com/en-us/keyboards/keyboard/devices/keyboard-case

    No, hadn't seen that one, but don't think it matters. I really wanted an alternative to a standard keyboard, that didn't require extra hardware, but thanks.

    ---------------------------------------------------------
    How best to post your question[/url]
    How to post performance problems[/url]
    Tally Table:What it is and how it replaces a loop[/url]

    "stewsterl 80804 (10/16/2009)I guess when you stop and try to understand the solution provided you not only learn, but save yourself some headaches when you need to make any slight changes."

  • jcrawf02 (5/16/2011)


    WayneS (5/14/2011)


    jcrawf02 (5/12/2011)


    Thanks Gail! No Swype just sucks. That may be a deal-breaker, it won't be better for my wrists to type on that virtual keyboard than use my ergo one.

    Have you looked at:http://www.logitech.com/en-us/keyboards/keyboard/devices/keyboard-case

    No, hadn't seen that one, but don't think it matters. I really wanted an alternative to a standard keyboard, that didn't require extra hardware, but thanks.

    Would it help if you could go dvorak? Or one of the other keyboard layouts?

    --------------------------------------
    When you encounter a problem, if the solution isn't readily evident go back to the start and check your assumptions.
    --------------------------------------
    It’s unpleasantly like being drunk.
    What’s so unpleasant about being drunk?
    You ask a glass of water. -- Douglas Adams

  • Finally near a computer and can post about the Rally last week.

    Was my first DBA conference of any sort, other than presenting one time for Jack's group a year and a half ago. Was definitely interesting.

    Met a bunch of threadizens in person. Definitely good to put faces to names and all that. Jack and Wayne, I'd met before, but was good to see both of you again.

    I think I spent more time giving testimonials to the RedGate guys than the USDA recommends. Even ended up getting videoed on that point. They've got a couple of new tools in the works (or new features for existing tools) that sound like good additions.

    The guy at the Confio table really liked my story about using their Ignite product to put out a fire (I love the irony of the product name in that context). Their salespeople already have the story, so nothing new there, but they all like hearing it anyway. (Who wouldn't want to hear that a product they've worked on is really cool?)

    (The sponsors make the conference possible, so I like to thank them for that. A few testimonials is the best way I know to thank a company.)

    Jen McCown's "Coding Sins" session was one of the most memorable, fun, and useful. Good to look at stuff from not just "best practices" but also "worst practices and how to avoid them". I won a book in that one for having a good horror story (my usual one about a recursive UDF with nested cursors in it, in a production database).

    Another one I really liked was on defensive database coding. Was a little basic, but I can turn that into some good lunch-and-learn sessions for the devs here at work.

    There was one on writing faster T-SQL (not Grant's pre-session, a normal 1-hour session), and it had some poor practices, some incorrect information, and some problems with the presentation. Biggest issue for me was advocating dynamic SQL using EXEC (concatenated-string) instead of sp_executesql, in a place where the later would actually work better. I know the session was "writing faster T-SQL", not "writing code that's secure", but it still seemed like a bad idea to present it that way. Why invite injection attacks when they are so easy to prevent?

    Had to miss out on one about using the DMVs to troubleshoot. Ended up being standing room only, and my bum knee can't take that stress. Would have been interesting, I'm sure.

    All in all, a good event and a good introduction to how those conferences work. Will definitely have to somehow make it to the Summit this year.

    - Gus "GSquared", RSVP, OODA, MAP, NMVP, FAQ, SAT, SQL, DNA, RNA, UOI, IOU, AM, PM, AD, BC, BCE, USA, UN, CF, ROFL, LOL, ETC
    Property of The Thread

    "Nobody knows the age of the human race, but everyone agrees it's old enough to know better." - Anon

  • Glad you enjoyed it, Gus (and everyone else). Sorry I didn't get down there to see you, but I needed the downtime. Would have canceled anyway since my wife was out on a sales trip Thur/Fri.

    We're trying to get the Rally here in Denver, so maybe we'll get some of you to come way out west 😉

  • Hey Threadizens -- I'm hoping that this is a simple question -- any ideas?

    +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
    Check out my blog at https://pianorayk.wordpress.com/

  • Back to alphabet soup. I love the alphabet soup when the certification is mis-spelled (e.g. MCSE becomes MSCE or MCDBA becomes something like MCSDBA)

    Jason...AKA CirqueDeSQLeil
    _______________________________________________
    I have given a name to my pain...MCM SQL Server, MVP
    SQL RNNR
    Posting Performance Based Questions - Gail Shaw[/url]
    Learn Extended Events

  • SQLRNNR (5/16/2011)


    Back to alphabet soup. I love the alphabet soup when the certification is mis-spelled (e.g. MCSE becomes MSCE or MCDBA becomes something like MCSDBA)

    Linky? Please?

    Gail Shaw
    Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
    SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

    We walk in the dark places no others will enter
    We stand on the bridge and no one may pass

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